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#5 So like we invaded Afghanistan because terrorists trained from and coordinated in Afghanistan an attack with planes with no bombs or bullets used only box cutters and took out part of the Pentagon incinerated skyscrapers and killed more people than the maps and now we our spending money for training them to fly planes with bullets and bombs like wow it is all so worth it or is it worthless?

#6 In 2017, the Afghan Air Force conducted roughly 2,000 airstrike sorties, about 40 a week. The AAF had a record high in October with more than 80 missions in a single week. By March 2018, the AAF had 12 A-29s in service. On 22 March 2018, the Afghan Air Force deployed a GBU-58 Paveway II bomb from an A-29 Super Tucano in combat, marking the first time the Afghan military has dropped a laser-guided weapon against the Taliban.

You military types tell me if I've read between the lines here. Basically, the AAF's job is to put down insurgents using those nifty little Brazilian single-prop ground attack planes, and land special forces units in helicopters. Which it's doing, and which it's okay at. But Gen. Amarkhail & company want a hanger full of MiG-35's so they look more baddass to the Pakistanis, Iranians, and Indians... and we didn't get them any. Does that sound right?

#7 Basically, the AAF's job is to put down insurgents using those nifty little Brazilian single-prop ground attack planes,

I ask about this here at the 'Burg awhile back when it seemed like the AAF was waxing jihadis left and right. I forget who suggested that the pilots were all contractors and not native Afghanis. And yeah, those little Super Tucanos are sweet!

#8 a large portion of the AAF’s fiscal year 2019 funds has been designated for AAF sustainment costs ($842.1 million, or 51%). These funds, the report says, are primarily used to pay for contractor-provided maintenance, major and minor repairs, and procurement of parts and supplies

Contractors are making out like bandits. Seems the way to go is to simplify and reduce the number of platforms (no Blackhawks, no C-130s, mre COTS) so the Afghans can take the lead on maintenance and sustainment.